Cap and clip for pens or the like



March 21, 1950 J. o. DEAN CAP AND CLIP FOR PENS OR THE LIKE Filed March 22, 1946 Patented Mar. 21, 1950 NT QFFIC 8 Claims.

This invention relates to fountain pens or pencils, and particularly to a cap 'for a pen or pencil, the cap being provided with a clip designed to grip the pocket of the user, and so constructed that the clip may be tilted or swung outwardly from the body of the cap in order that the material of the pocket may be easily inserted between the cap and the clip.

When the user of the ordinary pen or pencil places it in his pocket, it is sometimes difficult, particularly when the material of the pocket is heavy, as when the user is wearing winter clothing, for example, to spring the clip outwardly from the cap or barrel of the pen or pencil in order that the material of the pocket may enter between the clip and the cap or barrel. Usually both hands of the user are required, in that he must grasp the material of the pocket with one hand and hold it in a relatively rigid position while forcing the pen or pencil downwardly with the other hand.

I contemplate by the present invention securing a spring clip to the cap of a fountain pen or upper portion of a pencil in such a manner that it may be sprung or tilted outwardly from the cap or body of the device, so that it may be readily placed in the pocket and secured to the material thereof regardless of the thickness of the latter. Moreover, the construction of my improved cap is such. that this may be eiiected with the fingers of the same hand which holds the pen, so that the user of a pen may place it in his pocket with the use of one hand only. To efiect this result I construct the cap of the pen in two parts, which may be referred to as a body portion and a tip portion, the tip portion being tiltably mounted upon the body portion, and the clip either being secured to the tip portion or so connected to it that it will be tilted when the tip portion of the cap is tilted with respect to the body portion.

Moreover, the tip portion of the cap is so connected with the body portion that, while it may be freely tilted with respect thereto, it is normally urged by a spring to an erect position in axial alignment with the body portion of the cap. Moreover, the construction is such that the external appearance of the cap of the pen is not altered, but will present the appearance of an ordinary fountain pen cap, al dough it will offer much greater convenience in being more easily secured to the pocket of the user.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved cap for a fountain pen, pencil, or the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cap for a pen or pencil, the cap having a spring clip secured thereto in such a manner that the clip may be readily tilted or swung outwardly at its free end with respect to the cap, in order that the material of the pocket of the user may be inserted between the cap and the clip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cap for a pen or the like, which cap is constructed of a body portion and a tip portion, the latter being tiltably mounted on the body portion and carrying a clip which will be moved away from the body portion by the tilting of the tip.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved cap for fountain pens having a tiltable tip portion carrying a spring clip, and spring means to urge the tip portion toward a position of axial alignment with the body portion of the cap.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a fountain pen having a cap embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the cap, on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the tip in its normal position in axial alignment with the body portion of the cap;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of the cap, showing the tip in tilted position;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the parts of the p;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the cap, showing a slightly modified form of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a portion of a cap showing a further modified form. of my invention; and

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of the cap shown in Fig. 6.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown a fountain pen comprising a barrel portion Hi having a cap designed to be telescopically mounted upon the end thereof, the cap being designated generally by the numeral H.

As shown more especially in Figs. 2, 3 and i, the cap is composed of a body portion l2 and a tip portion 13, the latter resting upon the upper surface of the body portion. As is usual, both portions of the cap may be hollow, and the body portion thereof may be provided with the usual screw threads [2 to screw upon the barrel of the pen, and a shoulder l2 against which the end of the barrel abuts.

Adjacent its upper end, the bore of the body portion [2 is provided with threads l4 and with a counterbored portion [5, while the tip I3 is likewise provided with threads IB and with a counterbored portion H, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

I have found that a Satisfactory way of securing the tip portion 13 to the body portion l2 of the cap is by means of a closed coil spring [8, which may be threaded into the threads [4 and I6 so that, while the tip will be normally held snugly against the upper edge of the body portion l2, as shown in Fig. 2, the coils of the spring will separate, as shown in Fig. 3, to permit the tip to tilt relatively to the body portion by pressure of the fingers on the tip in the proper direction. When the pressure is released, however, the coils of the spring will tend to close by their inherent resilience, and the tip will be returned from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2, where it is in axial alignment with the body portion l2. The counterbored portions I and ll of the body l2 and tip l3 will afford space to permit the coils of the spring to readily open up when the tip is tilted laterally. While I have shown both the body portion and tip provided with these counterbores, it may only be necessary to provide one thereof with a counterbored portion.

A spring clip IQ of the form shown is attached to the cap in such a manner that, when the tip is in the position of Fig. 2, the free depending end 20 of the clip will lie against the body portion l2, while, when the tip is tilted to the position shown in Fig. 3, the free end of the clip will be moved away from the body I2 into spaced position relatively thereto to permit the clip to be readily slipped over the pocket.

The clip I!) may be provided with a ring or shallow cylindrical portion 2i, which is adapted to be snugly received over a reduced portion 22 provided at the lower end of the tip I3. It will be apparent that with this connection between the parts the clip will be tilted with the tip, and by reason of its snug fit thereon will remain attached to the lower portion 22 of the tip even in the position shown in Fig. 3.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a fountain pen cap with a clip which may be tilted away from the cap when desired, the arrangement being very economical and simple, and which will be efficient in operation in that, while the clip may be readily tilted to open position, the spring l8 will normally urge the tip to an aligned position relatively to the body portion of the cap, thus causing the free end of the clip to lie in close juxtaposition with the outer wall of the cap, as it should do to secure the pen to the pocket of the user.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown a slight modification of my invention, in which the clip l9, instead of being secured to the cap in the manner shown in Figs. 1 to 4, is provided with prongs or the like 23 which are embedded into the material of the tip to secure the clip thereon. It will, of course, be understood that when the tip is tilted as described above, the clip l9 will also be tilted when thus secured to the cap.

In Figs. 6 and '7 of the drawings I have shown a still further modification of my invention, in which the clip I9 is provided at its upper end with a ring or annulus 24, the form of this ring being adapted, however, to a stamped or sheet metal structure. In this form of my invention the ring 24 merely lies between the opposing edges of the body l2 and the tip l3, and does not surround a portion of the tip, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4. In order that the clip will be tilted with the tip, the body 12 may be cut away or relieved slightly on the side opposite the clip, as shown at 25, so that when the tip is tilted laterally the ring 24, and therefore the clip l9, will also be tilted.

In order to prevent any slippage between the cap (3 and the ring 24, the latter may be provided with one Or more V-shaped ribs or projections 26, and the lower edge of the tip with complemental indentations 21 to receive these ribs. This will overcome any tendency which the clip [9 might have to move with respect to the tip, either laterally or rotarily, and will not interfere with the screwing of the tip upon the spring [8, as the coils of the latter will separate to permit the lower edge of the tip to ride over the projections 26.

Ribs 28 may be provided on the upper face of the body of the cap to engage in the lower indentations of the ribs 26 and locate the clip in relation to this portion of the cap.

It will be apparent that the form of my invention shown in Figs. 6 and '7 is substantially equivalent to that shown in Figs. 2 and l, except that the clip structure may be more suitable to being formed as a sheet metal or stamped article, but will be suitably retained in place and will also be caused positively to tilt when the tip I3 is tilted by reason of the illustrated arrangement. It will also be understood that, while my invention is described as applied to a fountain pen, it may also be applied to a pencil or any instrument with which it is desired to use a pocket clip.

While I have shown and described some preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cap for a pen or the like, said cap comprising a body portion and a tip portion, means comprising a coil spring for mounting the latter tiltably on the body portion, and a spring clip carried by the tip portion and depending therefrom whereby tilting of the tip portion moves the depending end of the clip away from the body portion.

2. A cap for a pen or the like, said cap comprising a body portion and a tip portion, means for mounting the latter tiltably on the body portion comprising a coil spring having one end secured to each of said portions, and a clip attached to the tip portion to tilt therewith.

3. A cap for a pen or the like, said cap comprising a body portion and a tip portion, said portions being hollow and being provided with internal threads at their adjacent ends, a coil spring having one and engaged with the threads of the body and the other end engaged with the threads of the tip to secure the two portions movably together, a clip, and said clip and the tip portion of the cap having inter-engaging means whereby the clip may be moved with respect to the body portion.

4. A cap for a pen or the like, said cap comprising a body portion and a tip portion, said portions being hollow and being provided with internal threads at their adjacent ends, a coil spring having one end engaged with the threads of the body and the other end engaged with the threads of the tip to secure the two portions movably together, a clip, and said clip and the tip portion of the cap having inter-engaging means whereby the clip may be moved with respect to the body portion, one of said portions being counterbored adjacent its threaded area to permit lateral play of the spring.

5. A cap for a pen or the like, said cap comprising a body portion and a tip portion, said portions being hollow and being provided with internal threads at their adjacent ends, a coil spring having one end engaged with the threads of the body and the other end engaged with the threads of the tip to secure the two portions movably together, and a clip secured to the tip.

6. A cap for a pen or the like, said cap comprising a body portion and a tip portion, said portions being hollow and being provided with internal threads at their adjacent ends, a coil spring having one end engaged with the threads of the body and the other end engaged with the threads of the tip to secure the two portions movably together, and a clip having a ring portion disposed between adjacent portions of the tip and body and engaged with the tip to tilt therewith.

'7. A cap for a pen or the like, said cap comprising a body portion and a tip portion, a coil spring connecting said portions to mount the connecting said portions together, and a clip engaged with one of said portions to tilt therewith and cooperating with the other portion in clamping relation.

I JOE O. DEAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number La France et a1 Aug. 24, 1920 

